The "What did you do to your B4 today" thread...

[Steve Addy]

The Altrom bushings had no identifying marks other than the date circle, I looked specifically for something for identification and found none.

TBH I'm not surprised, almost all of the parts I've ordered in the last couple months for the B3V project have either been without any identifying information (origin or maker) or have had the information obliterated mechanically from the surface of the object.

Case in point, the new guide tube for the transmission. Supposed to be Corteco, which typically had identifying marks on it, not anymore.



Flennor transmission mount with markings obliterated:



Further, the corteco rear main seal had a plastic guide sleeve with markings removed from that similar to the trans guide tube.

The only things I've received recently that had origin / part number information on them was the Reinz cylinder head gasket, a Payen water pump gasket made in Turkey, the Flennor timing belt rollers, which was probably due to the location of the marking on the surface where it mates to the engine, the SKF (Litens) tensioners I received from autohausAZ and the pair of BA cooling system flanges:



TBH I don't think they're required to identify country of manufacture anymore.

Steve

 

[Abacus]

Wow, I have never seen that before. Where did you order the parts from? I have placed orders for specific items from "The House" but only incidentals and nothing major, and I have never seen anything removed from any part.

 

[Steve Addy]

Wow, I have never seen that before. Where did you order the parts from? I have placed orders for specific items from "The House" but only incidentals and nothing major, and I have never seen anything removed from any part.

The two sources I can recall off-hand are Rock Auto and AutohausAZ. I've ordered a lot from both in the last month but a couple other places too, somewhere north of $1k total.

This is what I expected to see with regard to the guide tube. They're typically liberally marked...looks like not so much anymore.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I have never seen anything removed from any part.

This is very common, especially with OE parts that are sold through liquidators. Just like buying brand name clothing at a discount outlet.

And Steve, not saying you'll have a problem, but a Flennor TB kit nearly grenaded my B4. This is what it looked like after 30K, with teeth not hitting properly and it walking off the sprockets.

Of course it could have been an install issue.

 

[TDIDaveNH]

It was my turn yesterday at dealing with a failed serp roller. I just happen to be about 10 miles from Sunday River towing an empty car dolly when the battery light came on. Just got done towing seang28's Golf to Herm's place and was glad the oil system didn't give me any problems despite the oil filter being plumped up pretty good.




The inside bearing was locked up solid and the outer one was fine.



What I did was cut the belt out of the way and made it the 60 miles back home where repairs were made in short order.

 

[Abacus]

You came down to Richmond and didn't let me know? I work in the town right next to it! I also have a spare new roller in the wagon and would have gladly driven it over to you.

 

[TDIDaveNH]

No worries Abacus, I didn't realize Richmond was that close. It failed in Bryant Pond to be precise so I was closer to home than the distance you'd have had to drive. I decided to drop Sean off in Shelburne and keep going via 16 since I was pretty confident I'd make it. Sean offered to charge the battery but that delay would have meant having to use the headlights. Made it back to the shop just as the headlights were coming on. I only ran like 1.5 hours on the battery- piece of cake. I had mentioned that you now carry a spare and how I usually carry nothing but a leatherman and a safety seal tire kit from North Shore Labs. I guess I'll have to carry a spare now, if I don't end up making one or just adapting something else that is more betterer.

 

[GTiTDi]

You came down to Richmond and didn't let me know? I work in the town right next to it! I also have a spare new roller in the wagon and would have gladly driven it over to you.

how many spares do you drive around with?

 

[Abacus]

My safety kit includes a 109 relay, the serpentine tensioner, a tire plug kit (sssshhhhh), air comrpessor, jack, jumper cables, a Sig Sauer 9mm, fuses, assorted lightbulbs, spare quart of oil, and some basic tools in the side pockets. I don't even have any duct tape in the car.

 

[GTiTDi]

My safety kit includes a 109 relay, the serpentine tensioner, a tire plug kit (sssshhhhh), air comrpessor, jack, jumper cables, a Sig Sauer 9mm, fuses, assorted lightbulbs, spare quart of oil, and some basic tools in the side pockets. I don't even have any duct tape in the car.

ah sounds similar to my safety kit, minus the sidearm. I figured you drove around with enough stuff to build another AHU lol

 

[Abacus]

Lol, I do part of the time, like when I'm visiting someone to 'help' on their car. Then it's packed to the gills and then some. I tossed the Sig in there to see if anyone was paying attention.

But for the most part I love not having a lot of stuff in the car.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

How come you guys are constantly replacing serpentine belt rollers and I've never had one fail on the 9 TDIs I've owned?

 

[GTiTDi]

How come you guys are constantly replacing serpentine belt rollers and I've never had one fail on the 9 TDIs I've owned?

I haven't had any fail besides loud bearings...I installed the dayco metal pulley from a mustang on a couple different ahus so far

 

[Abacus]

How come you guys are constantly replacing serpentine belt rollers and I've never had one fail on the 9 TDIs I've owned?

That's what we get from buying them from IDParts. (just messing with you, Peter)

Prior to this year I'd never had one fail, so what's changed? Certainly not the engine, which is still the same as it always was, so it has to be the manufacturing. Did they just all of a sudden start coming to the end of their lifespan all at once? I dunno.

 

[Steve Addy]

This is very common, especially with OE parts that are sold through liquidators. Just like buying brand name clothing at a discount outlet.

And Steve, not saying you'll have a problem, but a Flennor TB kit nearly grenaded my B4. This is what it looked like after 30K, with teeth not hitting properly and it walking off the sprockets.

Of course it could have been an install issue.

Let me be a little clearer, not a Flennor KIT, just the roller. I have read a lot regarding belt manufacturers over the years and Flennor has developed a nasty reputation on some of it's belts even though I guess that's supposed to be one of their core production items. I would not buy a Flennor Belt unless there was no other choice at the moment and I was dead in the water.

There are only a couple brands of belts that I'll entertain. Conti, Roulunds Rodrive and Gates. And now Rodrive is part of Conti so it doesn't really matter there either. There's also Dayco, and I hear some good things about their stuff but Dayco was always sold around here as a lower quality product.

At any rate, not running and will not Run a Flennor TB.

And yes....how is it that these guys are burning through serpentine tensioner rollers at such an alarming rate? Like you I've never had one fail, although I have a couple in reserve should they be needed.

Steve

 

[Steve Addy]

I haven't had any fail besides loud bearings...I installed the dayco metal pulley from a mustang on a couple different ahus so far

Interested in a part # and picture of your Mustang substitute. I have a feeling I know which one it is but I'd like a confirmation.

I look at the OE style roller and I just think could it be any cheaper looking, no matter who sells it?

Steve

 

[GTiTDi]

hang on I'll google it

 

[GTiTDi]

here ya go, my google-fu is sharp as usual http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=324372

 

[Steve Addy]

here ya go, my google-fu is sharp as usual http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=324372

Yeah, that's the same roller I'd stumbled on before in some cross-reference somewhere. Good to know that it can be made to work, I'm not all that impressed with the plastic option.

Steve

 

[mrbrefast]

Darkside, after confirming to me that they were sending me a turbo return line with M10-1.0 banjo bolts on both sides, sent me one with M12 on both sides. I double-checked with them, they still got it wrong after confirming. I am not pleased.

So: today, my B4 sat unusable still.

 

[Steve Addy]

Darkside, after confirming to me that they were sending me a turbo return line with M10-1.0 banjo bolts on both sides, sent me one with M12 on both sides. I double-checked with them, they still got it wrong after confirming. I am not pleased.

So: today, my B4 sat unusable still.

That's not cool at all.... You should send Catman (your avatar) to enforce justice.

Steve

 

[Digital Corpus]

I haven't had any fail besides loud bearings...I installed the dayco metal pulley from a mustang on a couple different ahus so far

Interested in a part # and picture of your Mustang substitute. I have a feeling I know which one it is but I'd like a confirmation.

I look at the OE style roller and I just think could it be any cheaper looking, no matter who sells it?

Steve

here ya go, my google-fu is sharp as usual http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=324372

Yeah, that's the same roller I'd stumbled on before in some cross-reference somewhere. Good to know that it can be made to work, I'm not all that impressed with the plastic option.

Steve

This is good stuff. A metal pulley means that just bearings need to be swapped. I'll add this info to my other thread for others. Might decide to spend the cash to pick up each of the three since more mass will help with damping and combined with a clutched alternator pulley, should help things last longer, right?

 

[Steve Addy]

Wow, I have never seen that before. Where did you order the parts from? I have placed orders for specific items from "The House" but only incidentals and nothing major, and I have never seen anything removed from any part.

Here's the sleeve that was in the Corteco rear main seal. I also remembered that I recently got a Felpro seal too recently, for next summer when the Jetta engine gets work. That sleeve too has marks that suggest that something was removed.

 

[Col Sanders]

Was going to put bulbs in the A/C & Fresh air buttons, popped the cover off , removed the 4 screws on the HVAC controls and that's as far as I got. Can't take the unit out the front, won't tilt back. Looks like the only way to get at them is remove the center console and go at it from the bottom. Guess this will just wait for another day. Had console out 2 times for other things lately. Not right now. Have bulbs for radio lights, was going to kill 2 birds at once . Wishful thinking . Going to have to make my own rubber seals " grommets " for the e-brake arms. Not available from VW, they come with the caliper. I'll look around for suitable material. Net gain today, zero !

 

[Mcgink]

Was going to put bulbs in the A/C & Fresh air buttons, popped the cover off , removed the 4 screws on the HVAC controls and that's as far as I got. Can't take the unit out the front, won't tilt back. Looks like the only way to get at them is remove the center console and go at it from the bottom. Guess this will just wait for another day. Had console out 2 times for other things lately. Not right now. Have bulbs for radio lights, was going to kill 2 birds at once . Wishful thinking . Going to have to make my own rubber seals " grommets " for the e-brake arms. Not available from VW, they come with the caliper. I'll look around for suitable material. Net gain today, zero !

Here is a good write-up for this http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=313614

 

[Steve Addy]

Was going to put bulbs in the A/C & Fresh air buttons, popped the cover off , removed the 4 screws on the HVAC controls and that's as far as I got. Can't take the unit out the front, won't tilt back. Looks like the only way to get at them is remove the center console and go at it from the bottom. Guess this will just wait for another day. Had console out 2 times for other things lately. Not right now. Have bulbs for radio lights, was going to kill 2 birds at once . Wishful thinking . Going to have to make my own rubber seals " grommets " for the e-brake arms. Not available from VW, they come with the caliper. I'll look around for suitable material. Net gain today, zero !

Yeah, actually the surround trim etc all comes off and the HVAC control stays put. Trim comes off without removing the console.

Steve

 

[Col Sanders]

Great post. I'll try it when time allows !

 

[Col Sanders]

Oh yea, that's the same bulb that's in the radio.

 

[tigers2007]

I finally finished the rear driveline service after a one month hiatus. Replaced the rear struts, brake lines, brake hoses, bearings, rotors, calipers, pads, and parking brake cables. Now it's Budweiser time.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Col Sanders]

Thanks Mcgink for the link to Scott58 A/C light bulb replacement, that was " slicker than snot on a door knob ". Going to do radio lights later today.